1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an upholstery button and more particularly relates to a watertight upholstery button for use in a seat or other cushion which may be exposed to water.
2. Description of the Related Art
Upholstery buttons are well known for ornamental purposes and for securing the cover of a seat or cushion to the foam core of the cushion. One such button is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,449,802, which issued to W. Mackey on Jun. 17, 1969. Referring to FIG. 10, this button 11 includes a collet 12 and a retainer 14. The collet 12 includes a head 16 which engages a cover 18 of a seat cushion 20. A shank 22 is connected to the head 16 of collet 12 and extends through the seat cushion 20. The retainer 14 lockingly engages a groove 24 formed in shank 22 and stresses the shank against a back cover 26 of cushion 20, thus compressing the cushion in the vicinity of head 16 and securing the cover 18 to the cushion 22.
In another known construction (not shown), an upholstery button includes a head, an eye hook or a pair of prongs extending from the bottom of the head, and an anchor including a string having a first end connected to the eye hook or prongs and a second end connected to a metal tee. In this construction, the head is seated on the front cover of the seat, and the string and metal tee are pulled through the cushion. The string is selected to be somewhat shorter than the thickness of the cushion so that the cushion is compressed when the string is pulled through it. The metal tee is then seated on a washer interposed between the washer and the back surface of the seat, thus anchoring the button hook in position.
While each of the devices described above satisfactorily connects a seat or cushion cover to the foam cushion of the seat, they are poorly suited for motorcycle seats or for any other applications in which a seat or cushion is exposed to the environment or may be exposed to moisture. More particularly, because the button of each of these devices engages the front cover of the seat only under the stress imposed on the button by the anchor cooperating with the back cover of the seat, there is considerable play between the button and the front cover of the seat. Accordingly, water may seep between the button and into the foam cushion under the seat cover. This water may subsequently be compressed back out of the cushion upon occupancy of the seat by the user, thus leading to considerable discomfort of the user. This play and the resulting susceptibility to water seepage is the most pronounced in the second type of button described above because the string-type anchor of this device permits more movement of the head of the button than does the rigid shank of the anchor of the first type of device. However, the string-type anchor of the second type of device is simpler and less expensive to manufacture and install than is the rigid anchor of the first type of device.
The problem of susceptibility to water seepage becomes especially pronounced in both devices described above if the anchor is rendered inoperative through loss of the retainer or through breakage of the string. When such an anchor is rendered inoperative, the stress between the head of the button and the front cover of the seat is removed, thus permitting even more seepage between the cover and the foam interior of the seat. In fact, since there would be in this situation no means whatsoever of retaining the head of the button in position, the head may very well be lost, thus leaving an unsightly hole in the seat cover which is very susceptible to water seepage both into and out of the seat.